Automatic door-opening mechanism



June 19, 1928.

H. A. `-IOHN'sToN AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENING HECHANISM Original Filed Oct.

Mnl 97 Patented .lune 19, 1928.

Y UNITED- STATES PATENTQOFFICE.

HOWARD AnnisoNfJoHNsfroN, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC DOOR-,OPENING MECHANISM.

Application led October 1, 1925, Serial No.. 59,911. Renewed May 11,1928.

rlhis invention relates to means whereby over a suitable trip device.

My Object is toconstruct a simple and effective device of this naturewhich is operable by each of two successive operations of the trip andnon-operable by either of two followingsuccessive operations of thetrip, whereby the ydevice will be operated to open the doors when theleading wheels of a fourwheeled vehicle pass over the trip and will notthereafter be automatically operated to close the doors until the samewheels aga-in pass over it in the reverse direction whichy will notusually occur until the rear wheels have passed over the trip inboth'directions;

- to arrange the apparatus so that the doors may be manually controlledwithoutjupset- Vting the trip sequence aforesaid; to'arrange theapparatus so that the powerfor eifecting the movements of the door isObtained vfrom a .shaft which is actuated by any suitable" motive powerin one direction; to provide means for disconnecting the doors fromV4the` power operating connections so thatfthey may be manuallyoperated; to provide sim ple weight actuated means for supplying themotive power; andto provide ineanswhereby the vehicle itself may beemployedto wind up the weight.

I attain my yobject,

trated in the. accompanying drawingsvv in which i Fig. 1 is a planview,.partly. broken away and partly in section, showing my inventionappliedA tolgarage double doors; l y

Fig. 2 a side elevationv of the same, partly in section and partlybrokenaway; Y

Fig. 3 a plan view yof the trip and escape v .oted a dog` 19 adapted tobeengagedfby the mechanism in the locked position; n

Fig. 4; a similar view of the samev parts in n the released position;

Fig.. 5 asectional detail of the .connection by means.v of theconstructions hereinafter described and illus-`V In the drawings likenumerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures. l

1 isthe representation in'outline of a garage provided with hingeddouble doors 2. Each door has pivotally connected thereto one end of aconnectingv rod 3, the other end of which is pivotally connected withacross head 4 longitudinally movable in a guide 5 suitablyvsupportedoverheadin the garage. Thisxc'ross head is adapted to be actuated by a.connectingrod 6 pivotally connected to one endv of the crossliead and atthe4k other end to acranlc armf secured to a shaft 8 suitably journalledon the guide 5. The crank arm is so proportioned that one revolution ofthe shaft will either open or close the doors and'return them to theiroriginal position.A Suit-able motive power is' applied to the shafttending to rotate itto operate tlie doors as described. I showweight-oper ated( mechanism for this purpose, though it willbeunderstood', of course, thatjsprings or vother motive power might besubstituted.

On the shaft 8 is journalled a drum 9 on. which is kwound the cord 10,which is led over suitable guide pulleys 11 and has se- -curedto itsfree end the weight 12. The

drum` carries' a spring actuated dogl 13V adapted to engage a ratchetwheel14 secured to the shaft 8. On the druinis alsowounda cord 15whiclris carried round suitable guide pulleys lland-which may beoperated l to wind up the weight 12 after it hasrun down. hand, or, asshown, means may be provided whereby the power of the motor vehicleusing` they garagemay be used for that purpose. I show a guide 17secured tothe floor of the garage on which is mounted for longitudinalmovement a slide`18. On this slide is pivfront axle of the motorvehicle. VThis dog normally tends tol remain f in the position` toengage a 'stationary stop-21 when the cordL I15 has beenysuficientlydrawn up to fully This cord might be operated by.

wind up the weight. whereby the dogis rocked and released-'fromthe aXleleaving the vehicle free to move out. y

Releasable Vmeans are provided for holding the shaftA 8 from rotationand means are also provided for releasing the stop mechanism from eithera point adjacent the garage or remote therefrom. I prefer to employmeans operable by the passage of the wheels ot the vehicle forautomatically opening and closing the doors trom a remote point andmanually operable means for operating the doors from a position adjacentthe garage, though, ot course, manually operable means may be employedat both locations.

The releasable stop mechanism preferably comprises an escapement lever22 of known type, the pallets 23 of which are adapted to engage in aknown manner the teeth 24- of the escapement wheel 25 secured to theshaft 8. By rocking the escapement lever, one tooth at a time is allowedto escape, thus permitting a half revolution of the sha'l't 8 tor eachoscillation oi the escapement lever. To the escapeinent lever isconnected one end of a cord 26, which is led round suitable guidepulleys 27 and is connected to an operating handle 28- suitablypositioned adjacent the doors, though, of course, the handle may belocated, if desired, in a position convenient for distant operation.

To automatically operate the escapement lever, I provide the mechanismwhich l will now describe. To better enable this mechanism and itsoperation to be understood, it is desirable at this point to set out the4cycle of operations which will usually he necessary in taking a motorvehicle into and. out of the garage. Any trip device operable by thewheels of the vehicle will be passed over twice by the wheels of the caras the car goes into the garage, once by affront wheel and once by arear wheel, and twice as it goes out ot the garage. The mechanism wiltherefore be arranged so that when one of the front` wheels oi: the carapproaches the garage, it passes over the automatic trip de vice andoperates the escupement lever to cause the opening ol" the doors. As therear wheel passes over the trip device, it must not trip the device,otherwise the doors would again close. Then the ear is in the garage,the mechanism will be operated by hand to close the doors and alsotripped manually to open the doors when the car to pass out. Thereafterone of the rear wheels of thc vehicle will pass over the trip device andmust not operate the same, whereas when one oi the front wheels passesover the device, the escapement lever must be operated to cause theautomatic closing ot the doors.

To obtain the desired sequence ot operan tion. l provide the t 1ipmechanism with what may be termed counting mechanism, whereby the actualtripping` means is conditioned to operate the escapement lever at anydesired point or points in asequeuce ot movements of the trip. Thismechanism is shown in 3 and 4 oi 'the drawi` u 29 is a-count wheel,which is pivoted on a rock arm 30 fulcruined on the escapernentV lever22. As in the present case it is desired that the trip lock shalloperate the escapement lever twice in succession and then miss twice,the count wheel is provided with two projections 3l at right angles toyone another,

though it is evident, o'l course, that thesev need not be entirelyseparate projections, the arc between them may be filled out and thesame result attained.

Formed on or connected with the count wheel the four toothed ratchetwheel 32, which is adapted to be engaged by a spring actuated dog 83pivoted on a stationary part. Fem the construction described it followsthat as the rock arm 30 is oscillated, the count wheel is given astepwise rotation through an arc oi' 90 at a time, and thus theprojections 31 are successively brought in a position to engage andthereafter tor two movements of the rock arm no movement is imparted tothe escapement lever. The desired sequence oi" operations is thussecured. it is evident, ot course,y that the count wheel and its ratchetmay be arranged to give anysuitable sequence.

The rock arm 3() is connected by means 'of a cord 34 led round suitableguide pulleys 35 toV the wheel operable device hereinbefore referred to.This comprises a base 36 the escapement lever j Sli on which is suitablyjournalled a crank 37 l formed by a blade 37"L secured to a shaft. Toone end of this'shatt is secured a double cam 38 which engages a springpressed crosshead 39 suitably connected with'thc cord 84. The crossheadis slidably mounted in an enclosed guideway formed on or secured to thebase 3G. The partsr are normally positioned as shown in Fig. G with theblade 37a upright due to the spring pressed crosshead engaging both cams38. .Riding over the blade rocks it and thus the cams 38, Veither one ofwhich .moves the crosshead to cause a pull onthe cord 34. The

cord, will'preierably be provided with any,`

known means tor taking up slack.

It is desirable that at least oneV of the doors shall be disconnectiblefrom the operating mechanism so that it may be opened and closed byhand. For this purpose l connect one of the rods 3 to the free end otthe toggle levers 47 which are pivotally connected with one another'andto a bracket'40 secured to one ot the doors. The lever 47a to which therod 3 is connected is longer luf.

lll:

than the other toggle lever and is adapted to be locked to the door bymeans Vot a wedge shaped projection 48 formed on or secured to thebracket 40.- To release the lever 47"* l provide the bracket with asocket 4l. in which a lift rod 43 is slidably mounted. When the lift rodis pushed upwardly it will disengage the lever 47 from the keeper orprojection 48 thus leaving the door tree to beV moved independent oftheconnecting rod. When the door is closed thelever 47awill slide overthe wedge on the projection ,48 and drop into engagement with thelatter. VShould the lever4?a be disconnected from its projection 48, theoperating mechanism when operatedto open the door will cause the leverto engage the projection and thus automatically re-establish the connec`tion between the .operating mechanism and' the door. Any suitable meansmaybeprovided to operate the lift rod but I prefer to employ, however,a? cam 44 secured on one end of a spindle 45 journalled in the'doorv andprovided with a rknob 46 whereby it may` be operated.

What'l Vclaim is v f l. Door loperating mechanism comprising a shaft; aconnecting lrod. adapted-to be connected to a door; means wherebyrtherotation of the shaft reciprocates the connecting rod to open and closethe door; means' tending to rotate the shaft; anxescapement leveradapted, each time it is operated, to r permit the shaft to moveone-'half revolution of the shaft reciprocates the connecting rod toopen and close the door;.means tending to rotate the shaft; anescapement lever adapted, each time it is operated, to permit theshaftto move one-half revolution; means for actuating the escapementfrom a convenient' point including a counting device whereby theescapement is Vop i s erated only at predetermined intervals in apredetermined cycleV of operations-of the escapement actuating means;and means for actuating the escapement independent ofthe countingdevice. p Y

3. Door operating` mechanism comprising a shaft; means tending to rotatethe shaft; means actuated from the shaft `for opening or closing a door;an escapement lever adapted, each time' it is operated, topermit theshaft to inove one-half revolution; means for actuating the escapement,from a convenient point including a rock arm; va rotary contact membermounted on the arm; a four toothed ratchet wheel on the contact member;a-pawl pivoted on a'stationary part and adapted to pick the ratchetwheel as the rock arm is oscillated; two contact surfaces on the Contactmember corresponding in position to two adjacent ratchet teeth; and anarm on the esca-pement lever engageable by said surfaces to rock theescapement, whereby four consecutive oscillations ofthe rock arm resultin only two consecutive actuations of the escapement.

4. Door operating mechanism comprising a shaft; a drum loose onsaidshaft; a pawl vand ratchet driving connection between the drum andshaft; a cord wound on the drum and provided with means tending'torotate the shaft; means actuated from the shaftfor opening or closing adoor; a second vcord wound. on the drum; 1a v slide mounted toreciprocate horizontally; guide rollers round.k Awhich the second cordis led and'connected vto the` slide; a pivoted dog 'on the slideAadapted to be VengagedV by 'part of a vehicle; andastationary tripadapted tor be engaged by the dog to release it'froin the vehicle vlafter a predetermined movement of the dog,A

and the attacl'ied cord, has. been effected;

5. Door operating mechanism comprising a shaft; means tending to rotatethe shaft' in one direction; a crank arm on said shaft; j a guide; aVcross head reciprocable on said .n guide; a connecting rodpivotallycon'nected n to the crank arm and the cross head; connectingrods pivotally connected withdoors and with the cross head, whereby 'therota.- tion of the shaftreciprocates theconnectin'g yrods to open andclose the doors; an escapement lever adapted, each time it is operated,

to permitthe shaft to move one'half revol lution;and means forvactuating the escape- Y A ment from a convenient point; and means forautomatically re-winding the shaft rotating mechanism by the vehicle.

6. Door operating mechanism comprising a shaft; a slide; means wherebythe shaft actuates the slide; a connectingrod; pivotally' connected tothe slide; adoor to which the connecting rod `is pivotally` connected;

. means including linlagefor permitting lost,V

motion inthe connections whereby.l the door may bev swung independentlyofthe connecting rod; a releasable lockingdevice' 1ncluding rapartextending through the door l to the outsidewhereby the connecting rod isnormallyy held in operative connection and means for actuating theshaft.

7. Door operating mechanism comprisingV a shaft; means tendingto rotatethe shaft; al slide; meansI whereby4 the shaft actuates the slide; aconnecting rod pivotally connected tothe slide; a door to which theconnecting rod is pivotally connected; escape- 'vwithtlie'door but maybe released at will gk,

12ol l of the long lever beingipivotally connected with the connect-ingrod and the free end of the short lever being pivotally connected with`the door; a keeper carried by the door for releasably locking the longlever n op- 9. Door operating,` mechenism comprising a shaft;connecting` rod operable by the shaft; a door; toggle leverscol'nprisingn short and a comparatively long lever piv- @tally.connected 'with one anotherv9 the Ltree end ol. the long lever being`pivotelly con.- nected with the connecting rod and the 'tree end of theshort lever bein` pivotzrlly connected with the door; e keeper carriedby the' door for releesably locking the long lever in operativeconnection with the door; manually operable means adapted to move thelong lever free of the keeper; and means .for actuating the shaft, thelonI lever being` adapted to engage the keeper to re-estnblish itsoperative Connection with the door when the lever or door is snftcientlymoved relative to one another.

10. Door operating mechanism comprising a shaft; a slide; means` wherebythe shaft actuates the slide; means tending` toy nectlons whereby themovement oi" the slide end dog will re-wind the shaft; rotatil'ig ineensand u stationziry trip adapted to be engaged by the tall to release Athedog from the vehicle after 2L predetermined movement off the dog7 slideund connections has been eiiected. f

Signed at Toronto this `25th day of September, 1925.

VHQVARD ADDISON JOHNSTON.

